Young Texans receivers have opening with Andre Johnson out

Texans free-agent rookie receiver Dwight Jones raised eyebrows recently when he claimed in a radio interview – jokingly, he insists – that he was coming to Houston to be “the next Andre Johnson.”

No chance Lestar Jean was going to make the same mistake, even though on Monday morning, as the Texans returned to the practice field for the first of 10 scheduled organized team activities (OTAs), he actually replaced Andre Johnson.

“Andre’s Andre,” Jean said. “Nobody can be Andre. But I’m going to try to take advantage of every opportunity I get.”

Remember the Texans’ “next-man-up” theme of last season? Well, Jean got to be that guy, working opposite Kevin Walter with the first-team offense in Johnson’s place as the 10-year-veteran and five-time Pro Bowler took it easy following arthroscopic surgery on his left knee 2½ weeks ago.

Although Johnson insisted the knee hadn’t been hurting him, it was continuing to swell – the residue of a hyperextension he said he suffered in Jacksonville last season – and the decision was made to go in and get things cleaned up. He’ll be an OTA spectator only, it would appear.

“There’s no need to panic,” Johnson said, obviously acutely aware of how concerned fans might be after he missed nine games in 2011 because of hamstring issues. “I was back out doing offseason workouts, just kind of running around and stuff, and it swelled back up, so it felt like that was the best thing to do, getting the knee scoped and fixed. Right now I’m feeling fine. The swelling’s gone down a whole lot. Everything’s going to be fine.”

Asked if he believes he’ll be 100 percent by late July for the start of training camp, he said: “Oh yeah. There’s no doubt in my mind about that. I’m not having any issues with my hamstrings. I’ve been staying on top of that.”

Johnson incurred his first pull in the season’s fourth game. He was out for almost two months, then lasted less than two complete games before he popped the other hamstring, which kept him out for another month. It was in the first of those games, Nov. 27 at Jacksonville, that he hurt the knee.

Jacoby Jones stepped in for Johnson but never really stepped up. His underwhelming understudy work in combination with a boneheaded decision to field a dangerous punt at Baltimore in the AFC semifinals, which resulted in a costly turnover in what became a 20-13 loss, led to the Texans’ decision to release Jones after they had acquired third-rounder DeVier Posey and fourth-rounder Keshawn Martin in the draft.

While Jean stands to profit from Jones’ exit, he couldn’t celebrate it.

“Like Andre, Jacoby helped me a lot last year,” he said. “It’s a business. When I heard (Jones had been released), I didn’t think that much about it.”

Assuming Johnson’s personal prognosis is right, Jean is a springtime caretaker only. But coach Gary Kubiak moved him to the head of the backup class on the strength of his brief body of Texans work, including last summer’s preseason opener, in which he had catches of 27 and 26 yards against the Jets.

However, he wound up spending the season on injured reserve with a knee injury of his own.

“I’d never had to sit like that,” Jean said. “It was depressing. It’s good to be back out here.”

At 6-3 and 205 pounds, Jean resembles the 6-3, 226-pound Johnson physically. He’ll face stiff competition for playing time from Posey and Martin, as well as fellow second-year man Jeff Maehl and the loose-lipped Jones.

It’s a group that impresses Johnson and a group he wants to help nurture. He’s not feeling the least bit threatened, and no, they don’t make him feel like a graybeard.

“I’m not getting (any) younger,” he said, “but I’m not old.”

The 30-year-old Johnson is spotting all the Texans’ receivers except Walter, who’s also 30, at least six years. Still, he could have reminded everyone that the last time he was on the field, he had eight receptions for 111 yards against the Ravens.

Of his young teammates, both new and old, Johnson said: “I think they all have a lot of talent. They’ve been given a great opportunity. The coaches will decide who the best guys are, and I think they’ll all be able to come in and help the team.”

dale.robertson@chron.com

Photo: Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle

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THURSDAY, June 7

Texans tight end Owen Daniels makes a catch in the end zone during Texans organized team activities at the Methodist Training Center.

THURSDAY, June 7

Texans tight end Owen Daniels makes a catch in the end zone during Texans organized team activities at the Methodist Training Center.